I think responsible language is a net positive but I do agree that it’s hard and may sometimes seem arbitrary. (Eg at work they want us to stop saying “sync” is it may appear ableist to those with autism?).
To be completely honest, I find it hard to imagine a scenario where someone using “tranny” in a skate-related context can be misconstrued. I know enough not to use the term within earshot of anyone transgendered (fairly rare at skateparks but becoming more common). I also find it hard to believe any of the transgendered people I’ve met would get offended by those words in that context - especially given the amount of shit they unfortunately deal with. I think we should give their resolve more credit.
Of course, minimizing exposure to the word is a net benefit, but it’s worth discussing. I don’t think it’s fair to judge someone as bigoted if they unknowingly use diction not up to twitter’s current standards, and that’s a vibe I get from some users.
How do people feel about the term bastard? Genuinely curious why that hasn’t reached the topic of responsible dialect, especially as it is a prominent term among those who care about such things (eg acab) and applies to a large set of people by means outside their control.
Excellent response and you are right about a lot. Where does the overextension of the condemnation of certain words or terms become an overreaction? That's why this topic is so black and white because there really isn't a concrete answer to that question. Here's my take, the line is drawn when certain words reach a threshold for its overt usage in its application to demean people, especially minorities, in a vitriolic manner.
For the word "faggot", the threshold reached critical mass in the mid-2010s because its association became so hostile that to use it was an act of clear homophobic implication. That word was everywhere too pre mid-2010's such as the most popular comedy movie of the time The Hangover. Nowadays, that's not the case and has been fazed out.
Here is the thing though, there are still people today who try and argue that "faggot" is just a way to describe a lame person but that it doesn't actually mean they are homophobic. That's where I call bullshit. Trying to dissociate its meaning is an act of erasure that seeks to dissolve the history of the word.
Tranny is a difficult one because it does not have a negative attribution when it's used to refer to transition. And trans people definitely do deserve their resolve because like I said in my previous posts, we are all different and react to things differently. We definitely do have more to deal with more important matters than someone saying words at a skatepark. But this insinuation by some people in this thread that trans folk are out there openly confronting people in public for using "tranny" is vastly unrealistic. It's just as unrealistic to label all cis straight men as bigots - its all just dumb generalizations that does more harm than anything. Other than the overly militant subsect of trans folk, we're very nonconfrontational because being confrontational could lead to violence which is a very real, very scary part of our reality. And in some places, there are laws on the book that if we do confront you, you can beat us to death and claim panic defense and don't get convicted.
I'm rambling but I just wanna say, you sound like a thoughtful person. Again, situational awareness is so important and you seem to have it dialed. Of course, we can't all succumb to everyone's shifting sensibilities but if I have the opportunity to try and make people feel comfortable then I want to at least try to be the person who can provide them that.
Topic: Is using the word tranny when referring to transition offensive? (Read 11709 times)